These changes will come into effect on 1st April 2023. In summary:
1 – A change to time limits for referring a complaint to the LEO (reduced to 1 year from the date of the act or omission giving rise to the complaint, or date of knowledge)
2 – Discretion to decline to issue a formal Ombudsman decision after investigator case
decision if neither party raise any substantive objection to the findings of the case decision (seems to enhance their ability to proceed in the absence information)
3 – Changes to Ombudsman discretion to dismiss or discontinue a complaint in certain
Circumstances (seems to enhance their ability to dismiss or discontinue)
4 – Minor drafting changes to update Scheme Rules including new dates and correcting previous typographical drafting errors
The impression we get is that they are seeking to streamline the process.
Please refer to the detail. Link:
Legal Ombudsman Guidance: https://www.legalombudsman.org.uk/media/xfrfzben/guidance-scheme-rules-april-2023.pdf
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